Page 30 of Operation: Chosen

He made a fist and pounded his knee. If that man hurt his horse, he’d have to fight the urge to beat him. Skyfall had been very abused when she’d come to Wayside, and Eric had slowly worked her back into vitality. He would not see her hurt again.

“You should call the police.” Ali’s eyes focused on the road ahead as she gripped the steering wheel. Her knuckles were bright white against the black of the interior.

His arm was useless, and his phone was in the wrong pocket to reach easily. He slid forward as far as possible, then tried to stretch around and grip his phone in his opposite pocket. Pain shot through his shoulder, and he had to stop before he hurt himself further.

“You can look up the directions again once we get this guy.” Eric grabbed her phone and pressed the emergency button.

“Piper’s Ridge Police, do you have an emergency?”

“Yes, the man who stole my horse is getting away.” Eric relayed the nearest address and where they were headed.

“The closest unit is at least ten minutes away.”

They were busy at Wayside, and Eric didn’t have ten minutes to wait. If this was one of the thieves from before, the rider might be able to get Skyfall to run right up into a trailer ramp just like their horses had. Then she’d be gone. Skyfall didn’t like trailers most of the time, but if she were tired after a run, she might do it just to be somewhere that looked like she could rest.

“Come on, Ali. Hurry.”

“I’m going as fast as I can. I don’t want to go in the ditch.” Her little car fishtailed slightly, and Ali overcorrected. The car spun twice, then came to a stop in the middle of the road. He had to give her credit for not screaming.

She shifted the car back into first and raced down the road. His horse was little more than a speck in the distance now. Why his horse? There were so many mounts that weren’t attached to anyone, but they’d taken his personal horse.

Ali slammed the wheel to the right and took them down a side road. He wasn’t sure how she knew that road would cut back around and might get them ahead of the rider, but he was thankful she’d decided to take it.

She pushed the little car faster, kicking up a huge dust cloud behind them.

“Remind me that I owe you supper for this,” Eric said, gripping the dashboard with his good hand.

She snorted. “I’m sure Victoria will love that. Better not promise too much.”

He took a split second to look at Ali. He hadn’t meant food in the dining room. He’d wanted to actually thank her. “I’ll find a way that doesn’t involve making anyone else work for me.”

She met back up with the road and slid to a stop as the dust cloud behind them flew over the car, blocking his view. Since the main road curved around, they were now close to Skyfall again. The rider’s black clothes stuck out against the mare’s gray coat. “Another minute and we’ll have her.” He pointed where Ali should go.

Eric wasn’t sure what he would do once he caught up with the rider. The man in black glanced over his shoulder and pulled his pistol.

“Oh no!” Ali let off the gas.

“No! Keep driving.” Eric reached for his gun and only then realized he had to have lost it when he dove to the floor of the barn.

“But…” Ali bit her lip.

The rider turned in the saddle and took a shot at them. Ali screamed. As she ducked, the car careened off the road.

“Sir, are you still there?” the dispatcher asked. “Sir?”

Ali slammed into the steering wheel as the car came to a skidding stop. Her airbag deployed with a loudcrack.Every muscle in Eric’s body protested as he shoved the door open and scrambled from the car. He clutched his arm close to his body as he ran around the hood. He hadn’t seen the sharp-tailed grouse fly in front of the car, but that had to be what had made the airbag deploy.

He tugged open Ali’s door, but she was slumped back, pushed into her seat by the force of the airbag that now lay limp in her lap. “Hey, Ali?” He brushed away a trickle of blood from her nose with his thumb. “Ali?”

His heart clenched in his chest. How was he going to help her when his arm was all busted up? If had hadn’t been so stubborn about the ambulance, he wouldn’t have known his horse was there. If she hadn’t been driving, she wouldn’t be hurt.

Skyfall disappeared behind a distant rise as the sound of sirens came on the wind. But would they see the rider, or would he veer off the road due to the potential of getting caught?

Although help would be there momentarily, Eric had to make sure Ali wasn’t hurt worse than she appeared. He reached for her wrist and felt for a pulse, thankful he found a strong one right away. “That’s it. The police will be here shortly.”

He reached over Ali and grabbed her phone from where he’d dropped it in the center console before he got out of the car. “This is Eric Moberg. I’m still here. I hear the sirens. They’re almost here.” He couldn’t think of anything more intelligent to say.

“Is everyone all right?” the dispatcher asked.

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